Calculating machine



Sept. 29, 1936. MULLER CALCULATING MACHINE Original Filed June 11 3 Sheets-Sheet l F02 li y/7d 1w 582m 49%; ugle AT l'ORNEY$ Sept. 29, 1936. R MULLER 2,055,551

CALCULATING MACHINE 7 Original Filed June 11, 1934 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR 1934 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 I Original Filed June 11 INVE MW m E m N/N m M m an Patented Sept. 29, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CALCULATING MACHINE Robert L. Muller, Detroit, Mich., assignor to Burroughs Adding Machine Company, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application June 11, 1934, Serial No. 729,967 Renewed December 16, 1935 12 Claims.

The invention relates to paper feeding equipment for accounting machines, more particularly be recorded the entries of a number of customers" accounts, for example, all the entries on all cusiii tomers accounts for a given month; individual ledger sheets for each customer upon which these amounts may be entered; and a bill or statement;

all of which may be made out at the same time,

together with such copies as are necessary in the iii accounting system used. These individual ledger sheets and accompanying papers often differ in width from each other and from the record sheets.

It is necessary to have some simple and easy 30 way of feeding the sheets into the machine and aligning them both with respect to the record or journal sheet and with respect to the individual sheets themselves. The aligning or collating of x the smaller sheets must be done without disturbing the record sheet on which the entries should appear in proper spaced \relation.

The general object of this mention is to provide an improved feeding equipment which per-- mits ready insertion and alignment of the papers 39 in an accounting machine.

A further object is to provide means whereby the aligning of the papers may be accomplished without the use of special indicating or collating marks.

5 Another object is to provide a paper feed and alignment equipment in which papers can be inserted from the front of the machine and aligned while in vertical position in which position the printing upon the paper is visible to the operator.

Other objects and their resultant advantages will be apparent from the followingspecification and drawings which disclose one illustrative embodiment of the invention and in which Figure 1 is a right side sectional view taken 45 approximately through the center of the paper carriage of a Burroughs Moon-Hopkins machine having the present invention applied thereto and illustrating the machine with the platen tilted back out of printing position and with the feed- ,50 ing and aligning table in horizontal position ready to receive'one or more sheets or cards from the front of the machine.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the paper carriage and associated parts with certain elements 55 cut away to show the aligning table which has been moved against the platen in order to position the sheets carried thereby in'vertical position where the printing thereon may be visible to the operator.

Fig. 3 is a right side sectional view with the 5 aligning table against the platen and with the papers supported by the table properly aligned andgripped by the feed rolls.

Fig. 4 is a right side sectional view similar to Fig. 3 with the platen lowered to printing position.

The present invention is shown applied to a Burroughs Moon-Hopkins billing machine of the type shown in the Hopkins Patent 1,336,904

and is an improvement of the front-feed align- 1b ing device shown and described in the Muller Patent 1,774,287.

In the latter patent there is shown an aligning tableat the front of the paper carriage. The table is normally positioned horizontally and the ledger sheets may be inserted from the front bottom end foremost so that the sheets will pass under the platen and between the platen and the feed rolls when the latter are in open position. Alignment of the ledger sheets is obtained by means of collating marks upon the backs of the sheets, it being understood, of course, that the sheets are inserted in the table face down, that is, with the printing record down.

The transactions entered upon the ledger sheets do not always extend to the margin of the ledger sheets, that is, the last printed item, on the ledger sheet does not appear close to the right-hand margin of the form for which reason and others, it is sometimes desirable to be able to align the sheets from the front or face thereof where the full printed record may be observed. The present invention makes this possible, that is, the operator may align the ledger sheets when the latter are in full view and the entire record visible to the operator.

Referring to the drawings, the upper portion I (Fig. 1) of the machine frame supports transverse guides 2-having raceways in their upper edges for receiving ball bearings 3 upon which corresponding guides l of the traveling paper carriage travel. Secured to the guides 4 are the end plates 5 of the paper carriage which is stepped across the machine transversely on the guides. A

platen feeding mechanism is also provided for automatically advancing the platen as is shown and described in the Hopkins and Muller patents, to whichreference is. made for details of construction.

The carriage supports a platen P ioumaled on .arms 25 of the side plates ll. record sheets used may be varied to suit the rea. shaft l0 carried by side plates ll pivoted on a shaft l2 connected by link I3 to a shaft I4 journaled in the side plates 5. This mounting permits the platen to be swung forward and upwardly by means of a handle l5 from the position shown in Fig. 4 to the position shown in Fig. 1. When raised the platen normally occupies the position shown inFig. 1 in which position it is retained until released and moved to printing position by engagement of a stud IS in notch I! in the plates l8 carried by the carriageframe 5. When raised, the carriage exposes the printing line on the platen so that it may be observed by the operator and also permits insertion of the desired forms.

The record or journal sheet J is fed under the platen from the rear as illustrated in Fig. 1, passed over a guide rod 2| carried by arms 22 of the platen side plates l I, and fed around and over the platen P as illustrated. Spring guide bands 23 are provided for guiding and holding the journal sheet in position. These bands which are bent around the guide rod 2|, extend around the platen and are bent around a cross rod 24 mounted in L The number of quirements, the drawings show one sheet only and it is understood that the necessary carbon sheets will be used when more than one printed sheet is desired. The spring bands 23 are arranged at the ends of the platen and enable the journal sheet to be retained and spaced with the platen while the ledger sheets are inserted and removed for the printing of individual transactions as will later be explained.

The sheets are. held in engagement with the platen by feed or pressure rolls 3!) which hold the journal sheet or sheets in contact with the platen as it is rotated step by step during operation of the machine causing the sheet to be stepped forward and which cooperate with the platen to form a front feed throat. One or more of these rollers are provided and are carried by a shaft 3| sup ported in movable plates 32 carried by cross shaft 33. The left-hand plate 32 has an operating handle or finger piece 34 by means of which the feed rollers are moved into and out of engagement with the platen, that is from closed to open throat position. Depressing the finger piece 34 causes the plates 32 to rock counterclockwise to move the rollers away from the platen. The foregoing construction is substantially the same as that. shown in the Muller Patent 1,774,287 to which reference is made for further details. l

The handle and the rollers may be latched in open throat position away from the platen by a latch 35 pivoted on the arm or finger piece 34 and having a shoulder 36 which engages a stud 31 on arm 25 to hold the feed rolls in open throat positiono The pressure rolls may be released to grip the papers about the platen or to closed throat position by moving the latch 35 about its pivot, that is, relatively to finger piece 34.

As previously stated, it is desirable at times to feed one or more separate ledger or work sheets into the machine from the front and of course provision must be made to align these separate worksheets both relatively to themselves and to the journal sheets without disturbing the journal sheet. This invention provides for this and furthermore, makes it possible to align the sep arate sheets while they are in vertical and visible position wit the printing thereon to the front.

Foxthis purpose a paper table or chute is provided which is movable from substantially horiledger.

zontal sheet-receiving position to substantially vertical position in which latter position the sheet or sheets therein may be aligned after which the table is returned to horizontal position which position it occupies during printing operations. The table consists of a plate 4|(Figs. 1 and 2) which extends for a considerable width of the carriage and is supported by end plates 42 pivoted at 43 to .brackets 44 which may be slidably adjusted along the front rail 4 of the carriage in order to adjust the table laterally to any desired position. The table is normally urged in counterclockwise direction about pivot 43 by means of torsional springs 45 (Fig. 2) until the end plates are limited by engagement of a shoulder 46 thereof with a front rail 4 as shown in Fig. 1. Square cross shafts 41 (Fig. 2) are provided to strengthen and add rigidity to the table construction. Right and left paper guides 48 adjustably secured to shaft 47 to accommodate diflerent sized ledger sheets or cards are also provided.

With the platen in-raised' position and the paper table in horizontal position as shown in Fig. l, the ledger sheets or cards L can be inserted on the table between the-two guides 48 and slid rearward until the lower edge passes between platen P and feed rolls 30 which are in open throat position. A shield 5| serves to guide the rear edge of the ledger until it is supported by the stationary frame 52 at the back of the carriage. It will be understood that the ledger sheet is inserted face downward and that the printed figures on the ledger sheet are therefore invisible making it impossible for the operator to align the ledger or collate it to a definite printing position. The ledger sheet or sheets are therefore merely moved to an approximate position, i. e., until the lower edge of the ledger passes between the platen and the feed rolls 30. The paper table may then be moved manually clockwise from its Fig. 1 or horizontal sheet-receiving position to the Fig. 2 position. This movement of the table carries the ledger sheet around the platen until the upper portion of the ledger sheet is substantially vertical.

The table is held in this position by means of pointed spring detents 53 located on each stationary bracket 44, and positioned to engage studs 54 projecting from each end plate 42 of the paper table when the table 3|] is moved manually in a clockwise direction from Fig. l to Fig. 2 position.

With the table and ledger sheets carried thereby supported in vertical position as shown in Fig. 2 and with the feed rolls 30 still in open-throat position, the ledger sheets may be manually aligned or collated with the printing thereon in full viewof the operator which makes it possible to accurately align the ledger sheets both relatively to the printing line and to thejournal sheet. A roller 55 carried by each end of the upper shaft 41 engages the platen and insures sufficient room between the table and the platen to enable the ledger sheet to be easily moved to the desired position. H

To determine the printing line or position of the ledger sheets more readily the table is provided with an elongated opening 60 (Fig. 2).

This opening is of sufficient size to permit observation of one complete line of printing, i. e., one complete transaction for the entire width of the The right side guide is also provided with a corresponding opening 6| so that the printing on the ledger sheet at the observed without interruption.

In operation the ledger sheet is first moved upright edge may be wardly until all items appear above the table 3i after which the ledger sheet is lowered until the last printed transaction can be observed through the opening fill in the paper table. This opening is in the proper location so that if the last printed transaction appears in the opening the next transaction will be printed directly under or in the next line spaced position relatively to the transaction appearing in the opening when the platen is lowered to printing position.

If desired, greater accuracy of alignment of the ledger forms may be obtained by the use of a plate 63 adjustably secured to the inside of plate M by stud and slot connections 6t. Plate 53 is positioned with its upper edge visible through the openings tit and $9. With such a plate the operator aligns the ledger to the top edge of this adjustable plate rather than to the opening itself. Plate 63 is also located slightly closer to the platen than the opening and serves to hold the ledger sheet against the platen which further increases the possible accuracy of alignment, particularly as to an exact horizontal position of the paper. The adjustable plate also provides for adjustability to accommodate for diiferent line spacing.

After the ledger has been inserted in the carriage by being positioned on plate or table Ml and the table has been raised to permit alignment of the ledger with the feed rolls in open-throat position, the feed rolls are released to engage the platen and grip the ledger as well as the journal sheet thereagainst. With the ledger and journal thus held in correct position, the platen with its feed rolls is lowered to printing position as shown in Fig. 4. During this counterclockwise movement of the platen and its supporting frame the paper table MB is oammed in a counterclockwise direction by engagement of the platen with rollers 55 and tit located at each end of the shafts 4i and rollers bl carried by end plates 42. This camming of the table by engagement of the platen with the rollers 55, 66 and 61 causesthe studs 54 to pass over detent 53 and permits the torsion spring to return the table to horizontal position as shown in Fig. 4. The rollers 55, 66 and El in addition to camming the table back to horizontal position, also prevent the platen from smudging the ledger sheet by contact therewith during the time the platen is lowered to printing position.

When the platen is fully lowered to printing position auxiliary feed rolls 10 carried by brackets ll also slidably adjusted to rail 4 engage the forward portion of the ledger sheet and retain it in close relation to the platen to prevent it from bulging or contacting with the ribbon. With the platen, journal sheet and ledger properly positioned, the machine is operated in the usual manner eausmg the type T (Fig. 4) to be driven by hammers H to type against the platen P and make the printed impressions upon the ledger sheet or sheets and through the necessary carbon papers, a duplicate impression upon journal J. After the desired entries have been made the platen is raised from printing position,

and the ledger is removed. The journal sheet remains inspaced relation with the platen.

An auxiliary table 80 is secured to the rearward edge plate 4! to prevent the forward edge of the ledger card from passing under the table as the platen is raised from printing position. This possibility would occur when the ledger sheet is moved or positioned rearwardly to print near the top thereof. In this position if it,were

not for the auxiliary table 80 it would be possible for the upper edge of the ledger sheet to engage the plate M as the platen is raised from horizontal to vertical position.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that a front feed mechanism has been provided in which ledger sheets may be fed from the front and aligned regardless of where the last printed item occurs because the sheets are aligned while the last printing line of the entire width of the sheet is in view of the operator. Furthermore, it is possible for the operator to observe the old balance on the ledger after it is inserted and aligned and then enter the old balance in the keys of the machine before the table is returned to horizontal position. Other advantages such as the elimination of aligning mirrors resulting from the foregoing construction will be apparent to those skilled in the art to whom it will also be obvious that minor changes may be made in the details of construction without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A front-feed machine of the class described having a platen, feed rolls cooperating with said platen to form a front-feed throat, said platen being movable from front-feed position to printing position and said rolls being movable to open and closed throat position, a normally horizontal front-feed paper table for guiding work sheets from front-feed position relatively to said platen into said open throat, said table being movable from substantially horizontal work sheet receiving position to substantially vertical aligning position and vice versa and means operable upon movement of said platen from front-feed position to printing position to move said table from substantially vertical position to work sheet receiving position.

2. A front-feed machine of the class described having a platen, feed rolls cooperating with said platen to form a front-feed throat, said platen being movable from front-feed position to printing position, a pivoted front-feed paper table for guiding work sheets from front-feed position relatively to said platen into said throat, said table being movable from substantially vertical position to a work sheet receiving position and vice versa and means operable upon movement of said platen from frontfeed position to printing position to move said table from substantially vertical position to work sheet receiving position, said paper table having an elongated opening therethrough extending substantially its entire width and disposed at a predetermined height relatively to said platen whereby the work sheets may be aligned with said table in substantially vertical position.

3. A front-feed machine of the class described having a printing mechanism, adapted to print along a printing line, a platen movable from printing position relative to said printing mechanism to a front-feed position and vice versa, front-feed means for receiving and holding a work sheet in front-fed pos'tion relative to said platen, said front-feed means being movable from a closed to an open-throat position and vice versa, a combination front-feed paper table and line finder in front of said platen, said table being operable, when in sheet-receiving position, to guide a work sheet under said platen and into said open front-feed throat while the platen is in front-feed position and being movable, indethroat and moving pendently of movements of said platen and after the latter is in front-feed position, to a. substantially vertical line-finding position adjacent said platen, said table having means for enabling a work sheet to be aligned with respect to the printing line, means for closing said front-feed said platen to printing position, and means for moving said front-feed table to sheet-receiving position.

4. A front-feed machine of the class described having a printing mechanism, adapted to print along a printing line, a platen movable from printing position relative to said printing mechanism to a front-feed position and vice versa, front-feed means for receiving and holding a work sheet in front-fed position relative to said platen, said front-feed means being movable from a closed to an open-throat position and vice versa, a combination front-feed paper table and line finder in front of said platen, said table being operable, when in sheet-receiving position, to guide a work sheet under said platen and into said open front-feed throat in front-feedposition and being movable, independently of movements of said platen and after the latter is in front-feed position, to a substantially vertical line-finding position adjacent said platen, said table having means for enabling a work sheet to be aligned with respect to the printing line, means for closing said front-feed throat and moving said platen to printing position, and means automatically moving said front-feed table to sheet-receiving position as the platen is moved to printing position.

5. A front-feed machine of the class described having a printing mechanism, adapted to print along a printing line, a platen movable from printing position relative to said printing mechanism to a front-feed position and vice versa, front-feed means for receiving and holding a work sheet in front-fed position relative to said platen, said front-feed means being movable from a closed to an open-throat position and vice versa, a combination front-feed paper table and line finder in front of said platen, said table being selectively movable independently of said platen to a sheet-receiving position in which it is operable to guide a work sheet under said platen and into said open front-feed throat while the platen is in front-feed position and to a substantially vertical line-finding position adjacent said platen, and after the latter is in front-feed position, said table having means for enabling a work sheet to be aligned with respect to the printing line, means for closing said front-feed throat and moving said platen to printing position, and means for moving said front-feed table to sheetreceiving position.

6. A front-feed machine of the class described having a printing mechanism, adapted to print along a printing line, a platen movable from printing position relative to said printing mechanism to a front-feed front-feed means for receiving and holding a work sheet in front-fed position relative to said platen, said front-feed means being movable from a closed to an open-throat position and vice versa independently of said platen, a combination front-feed paper table and line finder in front of said platen, movable from horizontal sheet-receiving position to a substantially vertical line-finding position, said table being operable, when in horizontal sheet-receiving position, to guide a work sheet under said platen and into said open front-feed throat while the platen is printing line when while the platen is,

position and vice versa.

in front-feed position and being movable, independently of movements of said platen "and after the latter is in front-feed position, to a substantially vertical line-finding position adjacent said platen, said table having means for enabling a work sheet to be aligned with respect to the said table is in substantially vertical position, means for closing said frontfeed throat and moving said platen to printing position, and means for moving said front-feed table to sheet-receiving position.

7. A front-feed machine of the class described having a printing mechanism, adapted to print along a printing line, a platen movable from printing position relative to said printing mechanism to a front-feed position and vice versa, front-feed means for receiving and holding a work sheet in front-fed position relative to said platen, said front-feed means being movable from a closed to an open-throat position and vice versa independently of said platen, a combination front-feed paper table and line finder in front of said platen, movable from horizontal sheet-receiving position to a substantially vertical linefinding position, said table being operable, when in horizontal sheet-receiving position, to guide a work sheet under said platen and into said open front-feed throat while the platen is in frontfeed position and of movements of said platen and after the latter is in front-feed position, to a substantially vertibeing movable, independently" cal line-finding position adjacent said platen, said table having means for enabling a work sheet to be aligned with respect to the printing line when said table is in substantially vertical position, means. for closing-said front-feed throat and moving said platen to printing position, and means automatically moving said front-feed table to sheet-receiving position, as the platen is moved to printing position.

8. A front-feed machine of the class described having a printing mechanism, adapted to print along a printing line, a traveling carriage, a platen carried thereby and movable from printing position relative to said printing mechanism to a front-feed position and vice versa, front-feed means carried by said carriage for receiving and holding a work sheet in'front-fed position rela-.'

enabling a work sheet to be aligned with respect to the printing line, means for closing said frontfeed throat and moving said platen to printing position, and means automatically moving said front-feed table to sheet-receiving position as the platen is moved to printing position.

9. A front-feed machine ofthe class described having a printing mechanism, adapted to print along a printing line, a platen movable from printing position relative to said printing mechanism to a front-feed position and vice versa, feed rolls cooperating with said platen for receiving and holding a work sheet in front-fed position relative to said platen, said feed rolls and platen being movable relatively to each other from a closed to an open-throat position and vice versa, said feed r s also being movable with said platen as the latter is moved from printing to frontfeed position, a combination front-feed paper table and line finder in front of said platen, said table being operable, when in sheet-receiving position, to guide a work sheet under said platen and into said open front-feed throat while the platen is in front-feed position and being movable, independently of movements of said platen and after the latter is in front-feed position, to

a substantially vertical line-finding position adjacent said platen, said table having means for enabling a work sheet to be aligned with respect to the printing line, means for closing said frontfeed throat and moving said platen to printing position, and means automatically moving said front-feed table to sheet-receiving position as the platen is moved to printing position.

10. A front-feed machine of the class described having a platen, front-feed means for receiving and holding a work sheet in front-fed position relative to said platen, said front-feed means being movable from closed to open-throat posi- \tion and vice versa, a front-feed paper chute normally occupying a sheet-receiving position in which it is operable to guide a work sheet into front-fed position while said throat is opened, said chute being movable to a position where it loosely holds said work sheet about said platen with the upper end of said sheet in position to make the front side thereof clearly visible, line finding means on said chute for gauging the linesition and vice versa, a front-feed paper chute normally occupying a sheet-receiving position in which it is operable to guide a work sheet into,

front-fed position relative to said platen while said front-feed throat is open, said chute being movable to a position to loosely hold said sheet about-said platen with the upper end of the sheet in position to make the front side thereof clearly visible, line finding means on said chute for gauging the line-space position to said sheet when the same is moved while loosely held, means operable to close said front-feed throat to tightly grip said sheet while it is loosely held by said chute, irneans operable to return said chute to sheet-receiving position, and means operating automatically to hold the front end of said work sheet in substantially vertical position when said sheet is released by said chute.

12. A front-feed machine of the class described having a printing mechanism, a platen movable from a printing position relative to said mechanism to a front-feed position and vice versa, front-feed means for receiving and holding a work sheet in front-fed position relative to said platen, said front-feed means being movable from closed to open-throat position and vice versa, a front-feed paper chute normally occupying a sheet-receiving position in which it is operable to guide a work sheet into front-fed position relative to said platen while the latter is in front-feed position and said front-feed throat is open, said chute being movable to a position to loosely hold said work sheet about said platen with the upper end of said sheet in position to make the front side thereof clearly visible, line finding means on said chute for gauging the line-space position of said sheet when the same is moved while loosely held, means operable to return said platen to printing position, and means operating automatically as an incident of the return of said platen for moving said chute to sheet-receiving position.

ROBERT L. MULLER. 

